


with you in my corner (look at me now)

by SapphiraBlue



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Beach Volleyball, Bed-sharing, Fluff, Injury, Living Together, M/M, Road Trip, Slow Burn, Training Camp, UST, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 12:31:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphiraBlue/pseuds/SapphiraBlue
Summary: A college-bound Nishinoya is looking for a roommate to share an apartment in Tokyo. The first person to reply to his enquiries is none other than Yaku Morisuke, old friend and current libero on the same university volleyball team.(Part of the Haikyuu!! Big Bang 2017.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chaptered fic I've ever written and completed within a deadline. I hope y'all enjoy!! Please let me know what you think :D

Nishinoya Yuu swayed with the motion of the train, nearly stumbling with the violent rattle that vibrated from the tracks up his legs. He quickly stretched up to grab onto a loop hanging from the ceiling, thankful that he was at least tall enough to hang on. The mass of bodies surrounding him shifted, leaning against the swaying of the train. Noya noted that everyone else around him was engaged in their own little universes, reading or playing games on their phones, unconsciously keeping their balance. He supposed that that was a skill he’d have to learn too, before long.

An announcement crackled over the train speakers, and a pleasant voice announced the next stop. Noya carefully shifted his weight, and began to squeeze his way through the crowds towards the door.

He stumbled off the train, caught in a rush of passengers eager to exit. He caught himself on the concrete of the train station with a loud slapping of his sneakers against the floor. He straightened up, swinging his backpack up onto one broad shoulder, and began to squeeze through the crowds milling about.

Warm sunshine hit his skin as he exited the station, and Noya tipped his face up, enjoying the warmth after the chill of the trains. Tokyo was just as crowded and bustling with life as he remembered from previous visits, and he pulled out his phone to figure out how to get to his university.

Luckily, the station wasn’t far from campus, and Noya enjoyed the stroll, taking in the sights of the city that would be his home for the next few years.

He took note of the tiny cafés dotting the streets, and the small shops offering a variety of goods and services. He eyed a sport shop that seemed to offer good deals on volleyball equipment, making note of the name. After a second’s thought, he opened a note on his phone, and wrote down the name, just in case. After all, you never knew.

 

~o0o~

 

The campus was beautiful, and Noya took a moment to look around, trying to memorize the layout a bit before pinpointing the building that looked like an administrative building.

After getting a few things sorted out with the Admissions office, Noya asked where it might be best to find an apartment, and was directed to an office, where he was given a list of students seeking roommates to share their apartments with for the next year. He sat down on a bench to peruse the listings, marking off a few that looked good. He contacted a few of the people who had left the listings; a scant few minutes later, his phone beeped, as one of the people replied. Noya was invited to view the apartment as the person had time to show him around. He quickly pulled up his GPS app again, hoping that the person wouldn’t be a creepy serial killer.

He climbed the stairs up to the apartment, easily jogging the three flights up. He paused on the landing to push his hair back out of his face, and double-checked the apartment number. He pushed his phone back into his pocket, and knocked on the door.

The door swung open seconds later, revealing a man just barely taller than Noya himself, with sandy strawberry blonde hair, and wide caramel eyes. Noya’s eyes widened as he met Yaku Morisuke’s eyes. “Yaku-san??!? I didn’t know you went to this university!!”

Yaku seemed just as surprised as Noya, blinking a few times before finding his voice and inviting Noya in. He offered him a drink, pouring him a glass of cold water after his enthusiastic nod.

Yaku sat down at the tiny kitchen table, fielding Noya’s mile-a-minute questions as the other sat down across from him.

“Well, Kuroo decided to move out this year; he seemed to think he’d benefit more from living with Kenma and Akaashi than with me, even though I live closer to campus,” Yaku made a face, even though he was mostly joking.

Noya leaned his elbows on the table, propping his face up as he said, “So you guys are all still in touch! That’s pretty cool.”

Yaku fiddled with his hands, folded together on the tabletop, “Yeah… Kuroo still plays on the school team with me, too. Kenma doesn’t have time to, really, but he still comes to our games.”

Noya’s eyes seemed to sharpen at that, and an almost predatory smile crept across his face. “So you’re the team libero, I expect?”

Yaku looked up and squinted at Noya’s expression. “Of course. I wouldn’t give volleyball up for anything.”

Noya threw himself back in the chair, nearly tipping it over backwards. “Well, I guess we’ll see what your team thinks of my skills when I come to try out, won’t we? I look forward to playing with you,” And he grinned the sharp grin that Yaku remembered from their games against each other in high school.

Yaku leaned forward, scrutinizing Noya’s face closely. His eyes gleamed with a sort of competitive glow, and Yaku grinned back. “Well, then. I’ll give you a tour of the place, and you can set up your room tonight. Nice to have you aboard, Nishinoya-kun.”

Noya seemed momentarily nonplussed, but his signature smile was soon overtaking his face, and he took out his phone to cancel his tours of the other apartments he had been considering. He bounced out of his chair and waved a hand, bowing, “Lead the way, Yaku-san!”

He signed the lease that very evening, and brought all his belongings up the very next day, setting up his room and making Yaku’s small apartment resonate with his peppy pop music as he shuffled furniture around.

Yaku watched from the safety of the tiny living room, suppressing his amusement, and reminded himself to bring Noya by the gym to meet the team the next day. He had a feeling that the year to come would be very interesting – both in terms of volleyball, and in general. Noya just seemed the kind of guy to exude adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun peeked through the blinds, early-morning gold stabbing through Noya’s eyelids until he groaned and threw an arm over his eyes. He rolled over onto his front, shoving his face into the pillows to try and escape the creeping reality of the outside world.

A thud from the room adjacent to his unfortunately brought him out of his light doze, forcing him to face the fact that he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep properly. He swung his legs over the side of his bed, sliding out from under his blankets to rest his feet on the cool wooden floor. He rolled his head back, rolling his shoulders, hearing the resultant popping with satisfaction. He straightened out his covers, and ran through a few light stretches to help shake off the stiffness of the night.

He wandered out into the short hallway in his pajamas, rubbing a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his eyes. It flopped right back down, and he huffed, trying to get it out of his eyesight.

Turning the corner into the kitchen, he was greeted with Yaku slumped over the counter, halfheartedly stirring a bowl of something. Noya nudged him aside just a bit so he could open the fridge for the milk.

Minutes later, a plate of hot American-style pancakes were placed on the table, and both Yaku and Noya sat and scarfed as many pancakes as they could without choking. Within a few minutes the plate was empty, and Yaku and Noya leaned back in their chairs, pleasantly full and almost drowsy.

A few minutes later both men sprang out of their chairs, dragging themselves into their respective rooms, pulling on clothes and packing gym bags, getting ready for the first club meeting of the school year. Despite everything, they tugged on shoes and left the door at the same time, Noya waiting on Yaku to lock the door behind them. They fell into step together on their way down the stairs, enjoying the silence and the fresh morning air.

Noya followed Yaku across campus toward the gym, considering what might happen in that very gym. He slanted a glance at Yaku. The older man was a fantastic libero by any standards, and Noya had admired him since their first practice match against each other. But – Noya was also a libero, and if there were two of them on this team… Noya would be damned if he didn’t get to be the official libero, though. He wanted to play on the court, and be the one to support his team from behind.

Except- it was Yaku’s team, too, wasn’t it? He couldn’t just take all that away from him. Yaku was such a great libero, and a fantastic person beside that!

The battle raged on in Noya’s head, and he didn’t even catch the curious, cautious glances Yaku was taking his way. He only came back to himself when Yaku pulled open the door to the gym, letting the sounds of the volleyball court out into the morning.

Stepping foot into the gym proper was at once nostalgic and disorienting; the familiar sounds of players warming up mixed with the sheer immensity of the courts, making Noya shiver with anticipation. Yaku ignored it, stepping into the gym that had been a second home to him for a year already. He dropped his stuff off in the lockers, and headed back out to stretch properly. The captain and coaches would probably make speeches.

Once the introductions were complete, there was a bit of confusion over the extra libero. Yaku had been the official libero since the previous year, when the libero before him had seriously injured themself and had to step down.

Noya could tell they were considering making him the reserve libero, and he resented that idea thoroughly. He was on par with Yaku, as a player. Even if this team wasn’t the same as Karasuno’s had been, he still wanted to be on the court; he still wanted to support his teammates against their opponents. He couldn’t do that if Yaku was the only official libero!

The point was rather moot until they actually started playing official games, though. For the time being, Noya was content to split off and do exercises in smaller groups.

The university team wasn’t known as a powerhouse team, but was known for being quick thinkers in the heat of the game. Noya had originally been interested in the school itself for the academics; their art program was one of the best in the country. The location and the strength of the volleyball team were added bonuses, as was the presence of the former Nekoma libero; Noya had forgotten in the haste of university applications and exams exactly where he went to school.

Practice passed rather uneventfully; time was spent getting to know each other in the spaces between sets, serves, and receives. Yaku and Noya often found themselves taking breaks at the same time, standing next to each other in tense silence, glancing towards the other and quickly glancing away when the other turned to look.

From the other side of the court, the captain took notice of their odd behavior, narrowing his eyes at the two of them. He turned to the coaches as the two liberos set down their water bottles and towels and ran back into the fray.

~o0o~

Practice ended after a few hours, and the team gathered around the coaches as the captain, Ishikawa Kazuo, stood to make some comments. He flipped through some papers on his clipboard, and cleared his throat.

“This has been a good first practice, everyone. Thank you for your hard work!” As the echoes from the team’s response faded away he continued, “I’m glad to say that the coaches have agreed to a training camp at the beach this year. It will take place in three weeks; make sure to let your professors know, and make arrangements for all your classes, because we will be leaving on a Wednesday. More details will be given later.” He gestured at the coaches to say their own closing words, and a few minutes later, the team was dismissed. Everyone swarmed towards the lockers to shower and change.

As Noya tugged his damp shirt over his head, he heard a few second year university teammates snickering about the training camp.

“You know the captain only wants to lounge around at the beach all day, instead of practicing.” A second voice piped up, “I bet he convinced the coaches by spouting some bullshit about the sand training our legs better, or something!!” The group dissolved into giggles. The comments didn’t seem malicious at all, but rather poking fun at a well-liked and responsible captain. Noya smiled a little, happy to have found a good team to play with.

He found Yaku waiting for him in the doorway of the locker rooms, tapping away at his phone while making an exasperated face. Noya tried to keep the curiosity off his face, but Yaku took one look at him and said, “It’s nothing, Tora’s just whining in the old Nekoma group chat.”

 

Noya blinked as he shouldered his bag, saying, “The ace, right? The one with the mohawk. Why?”

Yaku snickered a bit, a gleeful look in his eyes. “He has a crush~”

“Yeah?” replied Noya. “Good luck to him. That’s a hard place to be.”

“That’s kind of cynical, don’t you think?” Yaku asked as they left the gym. “Anyways, he’s bitching about this guy and hasn’t even told us his name yet.”

“Huh. I didn’t even know he liked guys…. He always made such a fuss about Kiyoko-san and Yacchan, after all.”

 

“Hmmm, yeah,” hummed Yaku in reply, “I think he said he was bi? More into girls, but guys are still on the list.”

“Interesting.”

The walk up the stairs back to their apartment was awkwardly quiet, as Noya digested his new worldview of Yamamoto Taketora. Yaku unlocked the door and ushered Noya inside, yanking his shoes off and collapsing on the couch.

Noya sat down on the ground next to the armrest of the couch, and pulled his phone out of his pocket as it pinged at him.

“Oh my god.”

“What.” Grunted Yaku, head buried in a pillow.

“You would not believe what Ryuu just told me.”


	3. Chapter 3

The Wednesday of the training camp dawned clear, bright and early. Yaku and Noya rolled out of bed to blaring alarms, and shuffled around the kitchen eating, communicating only in grunts. They grabbed their bags from the short hallway by the door, and headed off towards the parking lot near the gym where they were meant to meet the buses.

They squinted into the early morning sunlight shining in their eyes, stifling yawns as they stepped into the parking lot and blearily made their ways over to the crowd of significantly taller volleyball players gathered around a set of vans. A low grumbling filled the air around them as they stood, hands shoved in pockets, bouncing occasionally to keep the chill from their bones.

Soon enough the rest of the team had arrived, and Yaku had revived himself into some semblance of functional humanity. The captain assigned them their vans, and they began loading luggage and people.

The vice captain approached Yaku after he shoved his duffle bag on the top of the pile in the back of the van, standing on tiptoes to reach. He tugged at his elbow to get his attention. “Hey, Yaku, can you and Nishinoya sit in the back of the van? This kind has a small back seat, it’s probably easiest for you two to be comfortable back there, yeah?”

Yaku tilted his head back and sighed through his nose, “I guess so. Alright.” He turned to grab Noya from where he was groggily attempting to shove his duffle in next to Yaku’s. Together they clambered over the tangle of legs already littering the van, wriggling around until the both of them were more or less secure in the two-seat backseat.

Noya immediately slumped against the backrest, stretching his arms overhead as best he could with the low van ceiling, groaning as his shoulders cracked and his spine gave a series of firecracker-like pops. Yaku shuddered from next to him, disliking the sound intensely. Noya didn’t even blink.

The ride promised to be a few hours long; the nearest beach was a good ways away. Yaku tried to concentrate on the readings for class he’d brought with him, but the bumpiness of the roads kept him from being able to see the words clearly. He read and reread the same blurred sentence nine times, and it made less sense each time, even as he tried to force his brain to take in the information.

Noya nodding off next to him distracted him too; the golden early morning sun was coming in through the tiny window, highlighting the shock of blonde in his hair, and glancing over his well defined eyebrows and curved lips. The light made him godlike; he truly looked like a Guardian Deity, as his high school team nicknamed him. The light caught on a spec of sky blue paint caught in his hair, no doubt missed in the shower. Noya was an enthusiastic painter, and always came home from his classes with all manner of art supplies in his hair and on his skin.

A larger bump in the road shook the van, and Noya’s head lolled. The shift overbalanced him, and Noya slumped over towards Yaku, ending up with his head pillowed comfortably on Yaku’s well-muscled shoulder. Yaku froze.

What was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t risk waking Noya up; that way dragons lay, as waking Noya up from any nap was a dangerous venture. He couldn’t move his arm, though, and he needed to keep reading. He sighed, and leaned back into the backrest. He closed his eyes, just for a moment.

~o0o~

Yaku woke to a sudden bustle from the front of the van, and the sound of a phone camera going off. He opened his eyes and glared at the wing spiker turned around over the back of the seats in front of them. He only smiled, and pointed beside Yaku. Yaku turned his head, to be met with Noya’s head still on his shoulder, face slack and peaceful with sleep. Yaku felt his face flush hot.

He jostled Noya off his shoulder as gently as he could, hoping against hope that he’d wake up in a good mood.

He _ certainly _ didn’t watch Noya slowly wake up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and stretching his arms overhead with a yawn, shirt riding up his flat stomach.

~o0o~

Bags unloaded, the captain handed out room assignments and keys. Yaku was both unsurprised and unimpressed to find that he and Nishinoya had been assigned to a room together.

He felt Nishinoya’s eyes on his back as he followed him down the hall towards their room. Yaku tried not to watch him as he set his bag down on the floor and wandered around the room, ending up opening up the window and sticking his head out.

Yaku opened the closet and pulled out a futon and some sheets, arranging them on the floor on one side of the room. He set down his pillow and straightened out the cover, making sure everything was neat and self-contained. Luckily, there was a small attached bathroom, and Yaku disappeared into it to set out his toothbrush and other toiletries. By the time he emerged, Noya had set his own futon up, just a tad messier than Yaku’s.

Yaku flopped down on his futon and pulled out his phone, grimacing at the notifications scrolling over the screen. Noya caught sight of his expression and made a curious noise at him, tilting his head.

“Tora’s just whining about his crush again. He still hasn’t said who it is, but I’d bet any sum of money that it’s Tanaka…” Yaku mused aloud.

Noya snickered. “You think Ryuu knows? Like, this is really funny to watch, but I think it’s gonna get old fast.”

 

Yaku rolled over onto his side to face Noya, “Yeah, it’s going to get old. But I don’t think we can really interfere without messing something up, y’know?”

“Hmmm… maybe we should get Tora to host a party and invite Ryuu and see what happens?” hummed Noya. “After all, they’re both lightweights; if there’s booze involved  _ something’s _ bound to happen.”

“Doesn’t Sugawara live nearby? He’s evil, we could get him to get them drunk, right?”

Noya’s eyes lit up with mirth. “That’s a great idea, Morisuke-kun! I’m sure he’d love to have a mini-reunion for the sake of getting those two to admit their feelings.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll text him right now, see what he’s up to.” Yaku shot a quick text to Sugawara, who responded with as much enthusiasm as could be expected of Karasuno’s resident mischievous trickster.

“Looks like it’s a go. There’s nothing more we can really do from here, though. Let’s go explore,” suggested Yaku. Noya immediately sprang up off his futon. He was at Yaku’s futon in the blink of an eye, offering his hand to Yaku to help him up.

Yaku took his offer, sliding his hand into Noya’s slightly smaller, rougher hand, and pulled himself up. Noya didn’t even budge as Yaku used him as leverage, his thick thighs supporting his own weight and Yaku’s easily.

They left the room together to explore before lunch and afternoon practice, shoulders bumping together every so often in the narrow hallways.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my fantastic partner in HQBB, this chapter has art!! Thank you so much, Quincy, it's truly stunning :D  
> [Here it is!](https://q195-arts.tumblr.com/post/168156038693/my-second-piece-for-the-hqbb-2017-this-time-its)


	4. Chapter 4

The training camp dragged on, practice matches and drills melting together into a haze of physical activity that broke time down into discrete moments. A flash of movement here followed a flick of the head and a quick signal, shouts ringing in the air as the coaches called drills.

The second day of training, the coach decided to play the team against each other; after all, there were enough players to form almost two full teams. They fell just short of a full set for each team; the coaches ultimately decided that they’d have to play without a libero on one side.

Noya almost protested, but a sharp look from the captain had his jaw clicking shut. He said something about versatility being an advantage, but Noya really couldn’t see how he could be of any use in any other position. He couldn’t jump like Hinata could; he was hardly a setter, not nearly precise enough for tossing, and although his receives were strong, that was almost the sole basis of his abilities.

Yaku patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll figure it out. They did the same to me, last year. Don’t worry too much.” And he left for his position with a sweet smile thrown over his shoulder at Noya.

The match was one filled with mistakes, for Noya. He stumbled over the unfamiliar places he occupied on the court, trying to move around like a libero when he was nominally a middle blocker. He found himself wanting to dive for the ball more time than he could count, only to jerk himself to a stop when Yaku’s golden hair flashed in the corner of his vision, drawing him up short.

Watching Yaku from the same side of the court, often from right at his side, only served to ratchet up Noya’s admiration for the other. His libero style was so  _ different _ from Noya’s own; while Noya was the epitome of boisterous confidence, Yaku’s quiet confidence was unshakable as a rock. He faded into the background, making himself seem ordinary and innocuous to his opponents, but flashing out to save the ball from seemingly nowhere. His presence on court was so silent and unassuming that Noya saw their own teammates’ eyes slide right over, discounting him, just because he was still and silent, watching.

The coaches had them play several games like this, rotating players through different positions to try and figure out the best configurations for certain situations. Most of the time Noya was playing the same side as Yaku, watching him and trying to learn all he could from him. He knew, intellectually, that he and Yaku were very different people with very different styles of play, but he couldn’t help but try to emulate someone he so admired.

Eventually, Noya got a chance to play as libero while Yaku took a break and talked to the coaches about something off in a corner. Finding his pace in a new team was something he hadn’t done in a while, but he thought he managed it all right. While he was his usual boisterous self, he refrained from pulling out his more flashy techniques, even though he was sure someone on the team at least knew about them, out of a half-hidden notion to seem serious. He focused forward on the game, missing Yaku’s eyes frowning over at him from his conversation with the coach.

The afternoon found them running drills and mini-games outside, on the beach. Noya practically bathed in sunscreen in an attempt to stave off the sunburn he knew he wouldn’t fully avoid.

Everyone struggled against the sand, unused to the shift and slide of the grains beneath their feet. Noya remembered the few beach volleyball games he’d played with Karasuno in high school, a fond smile curving his lips up even as he dived into the sand to save the ball.

T he afternoon wore on, flashing by in a haze of sunlight shattering off the ocean like crystal. Noya spit out more sand than he thinks he’d ever seen in his life. Practice concluded with sprints run along the length of the beach, calves burning with the exertion of the day spent on sand.

Dinner was quiet, conversation rare as the exhaustion of the day arrived. Noya’s arms felt weak and shaky, will alone keeping him upright in his chair as he ate, back and legs protesting vehemently. The food made him sleepy and full.

A hand suddenly clapped him on the shoulder, and Noya jerked up from where his head was resting on the table. Yaku’s face hovered over him, looking concerned. His expression lightened as he watched Noya blink the exhaustion out of his eyes.

“How about we go on a walk outside, hmm? Settle the food and all.” He suggested, hand still resting on Noya’s shoulder, radiating warmth and assurance into his bones. The smile on his face brought new energy to Noya’s shaky limbs, and he stood from the table to put his dishes away.

Noya found Yaku leaning up against the wall next to the door leading out to the beach, looking out the window at the sunset. The golden light of the sun, so similar to dawn, spun off his hair, caught and glittering in his eyes. Suddenly Noya found himself caught in Yaku's gaze as he looked over. His eyes narrowed in another smile, shuttering the fire somewhat, and only making it more potent in contrast.

"C'mon, then! I wanna explore a bit," said Yaku, turning away and holding the door open for Noya, waving him through ahead of himself. Noya hummed in agreement, wrestling down the urge to catch Yaku's fingers between his own.

The sand rustled beneath their feet as they stumbled along the shoreline, exploring what they hadn't gotten to see during the day's practice. The sun sank lower into the sea, light fading from gold to silver. The change made no difference in Yaku's beauty; what had caught the golden light like fire shimmered like ice and quicksilver under the light of the moon. Even his eyes looked equally stunning by moonlight, deep and calm, like still water.

Noya's thoughts were interrupted by Yaku peering at him and asking him about practice. Noya snorted and answered honestly, "I honestly don't know what they're trying to do. I've been a libero my entire career as a volleyball player! I'm not cut out for anything else; I can't jump like Hinata, and my receives are the only thing I can do with enough accuracy to be useful to a team."

"Don't sell yourself so short, Nishinoya. You're very versatile, and you're always looking to improve yourself. It's one of the things that most impressed me about you when we first met. I've said as much to Sugawara, so you can ask him if you don't believe me," Yaku shrugged his shoulders a bit, bare upper arm briefly bumping into Noya's as they shifted.

"No, that's okay-- I don't want to bother him if he has to deal with Ryuu and Tora at the same time. Besides, I trust you. If you say I can make it, I believe you. I just don't really see how, right now, does that make sense?" Noya replied, ignoring the goosebumps shivering over his skin.

Yaku hummed, drawing to a stop on the sand. After a moment of considering the waves kissing the beach, he dropped down to sit, stretching his legs out before him. He patted the sand next to him in invitation, one that Noya gladly accepted. His knees protested as he crouched down to sit next to the other libero, hand brushing against Yaku's for a moment.

They whiled the time away together, sitting on the sand and talking about everything and nothing. The air grew cool and humid around them, soothing away the aches and scrapes on the day. The moonlight grew steadily brighter, joined by the stars overhead, brighter away from the city.

Noya tipped his head back to get a better view of the stars, tracing the shapes of the constellations he remembered. He noticed Yaku watching him out of the corner of his eye, and rolled his head around to look at him.

Yaku smiled when they made eye contact and said, "Stargazing, huh? I never really took you for a romantic, Noya."

Noya scoffed. "Of course I'm a romantic! Stars are amazing, anyways. They tell so many stories!"

Yaku's expression softened. "Show me your favorite, then."

Noya looked back up, considering the constellations visible. He lifted his arm and pointed one out, tracing its shape against the velvet of space. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the Crow constellation the most; I  _ am _ a crow, after all. But the Mountain Cat is cool, too!"

Yaku looked up as well, leaning back to see where Noya pointed. He hummed, and said, "I can't see anything but random stars."

"Here, come closer, I'll show you," Noya scooted closer until he was sitting behind Yaku, fitting his arm over his shoulder. He lifted it again, tracing the constellations from his new vantage point, tracing them out until Yaku's eyes lit up in understanding.

Noya told him the stories of the two constellations in a quiet voice, voice soft and gentle, hands gesturing around his words. Yaku followed his words and his hands both with fascination.

Soon enough the temperature dropped enough that it was uncomfortable, even for the heat shared between the two of them. By that time their words had faded into a companionable silence. Yaku shifted gently and stood, holding a hand out to Noya and pulling him to his feet, a reversal from earlier that day.  They made their way back in the same companionable silence, walking closely side by side. Their hands brushed together every so often, but neither pulled away.


	5. Chapter 5

After a few days of hard training, the weekend was finally upon them. Yaku had been happy to see Noya beginning to appear more comfortable in his role on the team, adjusting as quickly as he had predicted. The intensive training left them all exhausted, though, and they hadn't managed to get out and take an evening walk again.

Yaku was conflicted; on the one hand, he missed talking to his roommate, because they both collapsed into sleep almost immediately after returning from dinner; on the other hand, he was glad he didn't have to spend too much time with the other, because he had a nasty feeling that that would only exacerbate the confusion he could feel roiling up under his breastbone.

It didn't really matter now, anyways, because today had been the last day of practice at the training camp. The following day would be a rest day before they took off to head back to the university. There'd probably be some kind of celebration; Yaku wasn't really sure what their captain and coaches had planned. He kinda wanted to swim; he had even packed a swimsuit, in case the opportunity ever arose.

...Maybe he could head out after dinner and swim a bit. He wasn't as tired as he had been previously, and he still had some energy buzzing under his skin.

Yaku looked up from his dinner plate to look at Noya, just across the table from him. He didn't look dead on his feet as he had the past few nights. He was eating with gusto, shoveling rice down his gullet with a single-minded intensity. A few grains stuck to his face, unheeded by Noya as he reached for a serving of vegetables.

Yaku considered him for a moment. And then decided, fuck it, if he asked, the worst Noya could say was no, so might as well.

"Hey, Noya, you wanna go out swimming after dinner? The weather looks good for it."

Noya looked up from his surprise, wide grin already growing across his face. "Sure, why not!! Might do us some good, right??"

Yaku blinked, and smiled back, turning back to his dinner with satisfaction bubbling up in his chest.

~o0o~

After dinner, Yaku headed back to the room to change into his swim trunks. He considered wearing a shirt, but the heat still prickling under his skin dissuaded him. He slipped on a pair of sandals, leaving behind the sneakers he'd been wearing all week and was thoroughly tired of.

He left the room, shutting the door firmly behind him. Yaku nearly collided with Noya as the other came bounding up the hallway. They skidded around each other, narrowly avoiding (more) bruises. Yaku laughed at Noya's seemingly replenished energy and turned to go outside, ignoring the phantom feeling of Noya's eyes resting heavy on his shoulder blades. He waved cheekily over his shoulder.

Yaku left the hostel entirely, cheerfully heading out onto the darkened beach and almost skipping down to the water's edge. He left his sandals on a sand dune out of reach of the tide, a trail of footsteps trailing behind him across the beach. He dug bare toes into the grains underfoot, luxuriating in the retained heat of the day radiating across his skin.

The fading light of day sparked off the waves as Yaku finally waded into the ocean, shivering a bit at the cold against his skin.

A series of splashes shook him out of his daze, and then hands landed on his shoulders, forcing him under the waves as Noya dropped all his weight on top of Yaku. Yaku got an arm around Noya's shoulders and pinned him to his side in a headlock, pushing up off the sand beneath his feet to breach the surface of the waves.

Their wrestling eventually devolved into an out and out splash fight, exacerbated when some of their teammates joined in on the fun. A horde of serious, adult volleyball players all rampaged through the waves of the beach in the dark, until they'd all finally exhausted themselves and dragged their aching, waterlogged selves up to the hotel and into bed.

~o0o~

The next day dawned bright and clear, and Noya awoke oddly bright and early. he was a morning person on most days, but since they'd all stayed out fairly late last night, and had spent so much energy the rest of the week, he'd rather expected to sleep in at least a  _ little. _

Across the floor from him, Yaku shifted, breath coming a little snuffly in his sleep. Noya decided to let him stay asleep, and padded into the bathroom as quietly as possible. He brushed his teeth and decided to leave his hair down for the day, as they'd probably spend the day outside again. He didn't want to deal with washing gel  _ and _ salt water out of his hair.

By the time Noya was dressed comfortably for breakfast, and then for a day at the beach, Yaku was awake and sitting up on his futon. He blinked around him, seeming a little out of it, and Noya eyed him with concern. The smile Yaku gave him when they made eye contact soothed his worries a little. Noya left the room to head down for breakfast, and Yaku eventually occupied the bathroom.

The rest day was just that: restful. Most of the team, including the coaches, used the time to properly relax on the beach, and to swim if the fancy so struck. Some way or another some of them ended up playing actual beach volleyball, with the proper rules and everything. Noya enjoyed sprinting around the net with his shirt off, the sun warm on his skin. 

~o0o~

By the time noon rolled around, Noya had the sinking realization that he'd forgotten to reapply his sunscreen at some point, and his back and shoulders were feeling the bright sunshine. He collapsed under an umbrella, grateful for the cool shade. It didn't make the sting in his shoulders fade away, but it soothed it a bit.

It took him almost a minute to realize that he'd stumbled under the umbrella that Yaku had, inexplicably, fallen asleep under. His head was pillowed on an arm, the other by his side, legs akimbo. He looked peaceful.

Noya stretched his arms in front of him, hissing quietly when the burnt skin of his shoulders sent pain down his back. The sound awoke Yaku from his nap, and he blinked awake as he had that morning. He eyed the fabric of the umbrella stretched over him with mild confusion before he remembered where he was. He turned his head to find the source of the sound that had awoken him.

Noya sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck, only to wince and suppress another hiss at the touch to what seemed to be even  _ more _ sunburnt skin.

Yaku sat up, rubbing at an eye, and leveled a disappointed gaze at Noya once he'd processed the unusual color of his skin. Noya could only raise his hands in surrender and ineffectual placation.

Yaku assessed the damage to Noya's skin with careful, still somewhat sleepy eyes, and decided his roommate's folly would have to be (gently) dealt with.

Noya could do nothing but follow when Yaku grabbed his hand and dragged him up off the sand and into the building. Finding aloe cream for Noya's skin took a little longer, but eventually Yaku managed it, and forcibly sat Noya down in a chair and slathered his back and shoulders with it, all the while extolling the virtues of sunblock. Noya couldn't get a word in edgewise to defend himself, not that he really could. In all honestly the fact that he was very close to bursting out in laughter stopped him more than his lack of evidence about being a responsible adult.

(If Noya enjoyed Yaku's touch spreading the cool gel along his shoulders, he kept the fact to himself. He enjoyed the relief the gel brought him, and the gentle way Yaku handled his skin, and the way he brushed Noya's hair away from his neck so the gel wouldn't get in it.)

~o0o~

The rest of the day passed more or less uneventfully. Noya sat out of the rest of the games their teammates played, keeping Yaku company. Yaku, for his part, seemed a little tired and wan, but Noya didn't worry overmuch, because he still had enough energy to tease Noya good-naturedly.

Noya felt relaxed enough at dinner, and while Yaku seemed quiet, he put it down to having enjoyed the day off, and looking forward to going back home. They went to bed in companionable silence.


	6. Chapter 6

The day of their departure dawned slightly overcast, casting silver light into the bedroom Yaku and Noya shared. Noya once again awoke first, as usual. He tucked away his toiletries into his duffel bag after brushing his teeth, getting dressed (putting his shirt on was an exercise in pain tolerance; his sunburn had only gotten worse), and putting up his hair. He went about quietly rolling up his futon and making sure he hadn't left anything behind, unplugging his phone last and tucking the charger and cable into his things. He slid his phone into his pocket, and went to gently shake Yaku awake.

Yaku grumbled, and swatted at him, nailing him straight in the chest once before Noya caught hold of his wrists. Yaku seemed out of sorts, and Noya frowned at him when he tried to escape back into his covers. On a whim, he placed the back of his hand one Yaku's forehead, finding his skin burning just as badly as his own sunburn. Yaku wasn't red though; he was pale, and tired, which all pointed to a cold , if not the flu.

He frowned a bit at that. He hadn't known Yaku to get sick before in the two years they'd known each other, but he supposed nobody could really go any period of time before their immune system caught something. He shook Yaku again, more gently.

"C'mon, Yaku, you gotta eat something, okay? I think you're getting sick, but we're leaving soon. I promise you can sleep on the bus, okay? Just get up and I'll pack your stuff up for you," Noya coaxed, voice soft. He finally got Yaku up off the futon, and sent him into the bathroom to get dressed and started to get his stuff together while he was in there.

They barely made it on time to breakfast, Noya hauling both their luggage over his shoulders, ignoring the stinging, and keeping an eye on Yaku as they went, making sure he stayed on his feet.

Yaku only barely picked at his breakfast, listlessly drinking his tea. Noya coaxed him into eating at least a little plain rice, knowing he'd need to keep his strength up so he could recover quicker. Noya made sure to eat as well, but he kept most of his attention focused on helping Yaku.

The captain passed behind Noya's chair, and stopped to ask if he needed any help managing. Noya declined, mentioning that they lived together, so he'd be able to keep an eye on him when they got back. The captain smiled, a little enigmatically, and made Noya promise to call or text if he needed any help wrangling a sick Yaku. Noya looked after him as he returned to his seat, a bit nonplussed.

Noya bundled Yaku onto the bus, well,  _ van _ they'd arrived in, and sat himself down in the window seat so Yaku could lean into him and have space to curl up and sleep, too.

Within minutes of departing, Yaku was looking distinctly sleepy, and his drooped. Noya gently guided his head to his shoulder, making sure he was comfortable. Yaku tucked his legs up onto the seat and leaned more of his weight onto Noya.

After twenty minutes, when Noya was sure Yaku would be firmly asleep, he tucked the jacket that he'd pulled out of his duffle around his shoulder, the sky blue fabric an odd color to see on Yaku. Noya was more used to seeing him in red and white, or the muted colors he preferred in casual wear.  He thought the color worked, though; it went well with Yaku's perpetual golden tan, and offset his hair pleasantly.

For a time, Noya was reluctant to move, not wanting to jar Yaku out of the sleep he so dearly needed to recover and get back to his usual, lively self. (He admitted, quietly and only to himself, that seeing Yaku so pale and listless made his chest ache in an odd, uncomfortable way.) However, he'd never been a patient man, with the exception of volleyball, and he soon found himself getting bored of watching the landscape pass, pretty as it was.

He decided to at least get some reading done, and in this respect he was more successful than Yaku on the trip out; Noya had had a lot of practice reading in moving vehicles, and the class materials he was focusing on were particularly interesting to him because of the subject matter.

Noya passed a good few hours catching up on the classwork that had piled up, paring it all down to a more manageable mess than the mountain that it'd been before. He was sure that if Yaku ever heard about it, he'd get an earful about not keeping up with his schoolwork, but Noya found he was unrepentant, because he'd spent an entire week solely in the company of someone who was fast becoming a friend to rival Tanaka.

~o0o~

It was late afternoon bordering on evening when they finally pulled back in to the parking lot on the university campus. Yaku, who had slept more or less soundly until then, stretched rather reluctantly, and stumbled off the bus after Noya. He made to give the jacket back to Noya, but he refused, and Yaku pulled it on with a shrug, enjoying the way the jacket settled on his shoulders and blocked out the chill in the air.

The captain offered to have someone drive them home so Yaku wouldn't have to walk, but he deferred since their apartment wasn't that far away at all. Noya gave him a worried look, but trusted him to make sound decisions about his health, and ultimately the two of them set off for home alone. Noya was once again carrying both sets of luggage; none of Yaku's arguments could convince him to let Yaku carry his own things, even though the straps irritated his still-burned skin.

The stairs up to the apartment were a bit of a struggle; both of them paused on the way up, Yaku to catch his restricted breath, and Noya to adjust the straps of the duffle bags hanging off his shoulders. Noya kept an eye on Yaku as he rested, back against the wall, for a second, ready to scoop him up and carry him along too if it looked like he needed it.

Luckily, some deity was smiling upon them, and they managed to make it to their apartment without suffering a collapse on either part. Once the door clicked shut behind them, Noya divested himself of his shoes and the duffle bags, and shooed Yaku into his bedroom. Yaku tried to protest, but Noya would have none of it, pointedly telling him to change before shutting the door. Yaku heard various noises around the apartment, and sighed, before reluctantly pulling off his (admittedly rather gross) shirt and changing into pajamas.

Yaku snuck out of his room to grab his duffle bag from the doorway, rifling through it for his toiletries. He'd just finished putting away his things when the door to his bedroom opened, and Noya nudged through it with a tray.

Noya fussed until Yaku was tucked snugly in bed, and then brought him a bowl of soup he'd whipped up in the kitchen. He held the bowl steady for Yaku until he was sure he'd gotten a good grip on it, and even then he sat beside him until he'd finished every drop.

Yaku handed the bowl back off to Noya, who immediately put it back on the tray and pulled the blankets up to Yaku's shoulders. He left the room with strict instructions to Yaku to rest. Yaku fell asleep again few minutes later, with a rather bemused smile on his face, to the sounds of Noya moving around in the rooms beyond.

By the time Yaku woke up again the next day, having slept almost 15 hours, Noya had cleaned, done some laundry, and cooked food good for sick people to eat. Yaku was touched, and although he felt mostly recovered, he ate everything served to him with gusto and good faith, appreciating the gesture. Noya really was sweet in the oddest ways, sometimes. He even stayed home with Yaku until Yaku shooed him away to his figure drawing class, saying that he honestly felt a lot better, and since he'd already missed his only Monday class, he didn't need Noya hovering around him worrying.

Yaku was happy for the quiet, but was equally happy when Noya came bounding in from his class, bright and energetic as ever. His energy helped Yaku feel the bit of himself click back into place, and he was sure he was recovered and could go back to class next practice.

(He was a bit annoyed at Noya for convincing the captain and coaches to go easy on him for a few days, though.)


	7. Chapter 7

With Yaku recovered from his brief cold, and Noya a bit more comfortable with the team, the team headed into their competitive season. Yak and the coaches noticed a cohesion in the team that hadn't been there before the end of the training camp, and the captain commented on how well everyone was working together. Yaku let himself smile; he was sure that Noya had found his place within the team.

Officially, Yaku was the starting libero, with Noya as the backup libero, at least for the time being. Yaku had worried about Noya being upset about being left out of games, but he seemed to accept that a team with two liberos couldn't use them both all the time.

As it was, the team headed into their first match with high spirits, and pulled through well. Schoolwork seemed to be going well for everyone, as well, for once. Noya came home with paint splattered on his hands and smudged on his face more often than not, as his painting classes picked up. Yaku had worried, at first, that he'd have to deal with paint on his everything, but Noya was conscientious about cleaning up after himself, apparently.  Even when he came home with charcoal or pastels on his hands, he washed his hands thoroughly before touching anything of Yaku's.

So everything was going well; they won the first few qualifying matches, and had a lot of good practice matches with other universities nearby. Yaku and Noya were comfortable around each other, often video chatting their old teammates or hanging out with the ones that lived nearby in person. Kuroo was a familiar face to the both of them, even when he popped in on them at the oddest of times, sometimes dragging Kenma along with him.

Yaku was feeling good about things as they warmed up for their latest game. It was an away game against a team they hadn't had a lot of contact with before, so Yaku was looking forward to the challenge of competing against a team they knew so little about. Noya stretched next to him, easily touching his head to his knees, shirt riding up his back a little.

The first set started off well, both teams volleying cautiously, testing the waters against an unknown opponent. By the middle of the first half, Yaku thought he could handle whatever the other team's starters could throw at him, and the rest of their teammates were confident they could handle the situation.

Yaku swiped at the sweat on his brow, keeping it from dripping into his eyes and impeding his eyesight. The next volley started, the opposing team's setter launching it over the net with ease. Yaku followed its trajectory and let someone else receive the ball, sending it up to their setter, who scored a point with an impressively sneaky dump shot.

The opposing team called a timeout, and they all broke for a break, grabbing water and toweling off the sweat. Yaku smiled when Noya came up to him to make an observation about the other team's tendency towards jump float serves in a pinch. Yaku thought he could handle them well enough, but he let Noya advise him on them a bit, since he'd regularly practiced with Yamaguchi, widely acknowledged as having a killer jump float serve.

When the time out ended, Yaku headed back onto the court, ready as ever to play. Play resumed tamely enough, trading volleys almost politely; the opposing then switched out a player for a pinch setter, attempting to break out of the pattern the game had settled in.

Yaku recognized the jump float as it began, watching it carefully as it wobbled over the net towards him. He knew of the jump float's tendency to drop unexpectedly, but it still took him by surprise, and he lunge forward blindly to save the ball. His shoulder collided with someone also heading towards the ball, and his feet went out from under him, landing painfully with someone on top of him.

The ref's whistle blew sharp through the air, and everyone paused. Yaku tried to pick himself up from the heap he'd ended up in, rolling to his side and gathering his feet under him.

The hiss that left him as he put pressure on his right leg caught his team's attention quickly. The captain quickly rushed over to support him, and he took the weight off his leg. He knew he couldn't play with his leg hurting the way it was; it was the one he'd sprained in Nationals two years ago, and he knew that pain well.

A smaller figure forced its way under his other arm, and Yaku let more of his weight rest across Noya's sturdy shoulders. Being shorter than the captain, it was more comfortable for Noya to help him from the court and to a bench, where he helped him sit down gently. Noya immediately dropped to kneel in front of him and take off his shoe. The medic pushed him aside within seconds, taking over.

Frustration rose in him, and Yaku forced down tears and a lump in his throat. It was almost exactly like the last time this had happened; he'd been so careful!! He hadn't gotten so much as a scrape previously, and now this.

A hand rested on his shoulder, and Yaku took comfort from Noya's squeezing pressure. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Opening them, he watched as the medic told the coaches to have him sit out, because he couldn't play for the rest of the game. Noya left his side at the coach's summons, and the determination in his eyes had Yaku breathing easier.

With Noya's confidence, the rest of the team took heart, and what little of the game Yaku saw between getting assessed and treated went astoundingly well. Yaku thought about how Noya seemed to pull teams together with the force of his personality.

The game ended in victory for them, and for Yaku, it was bittersweet to watch. He couldn't even stand to celebrate with his teammates; he was probably going to need crutches for a few days at least, so that he wouldn't walk on his sprained ankle.

Nevertheless, Yaku smiled widely for Noya when he rushed over, hugging him back just as hard when Noya's arms encircled him and squeezed. Yaku reveled in it; he pulled back and told Noya just have well he'd done, and how glad he was to know him.

Seeing Noya blush was honestly one of the better things in his life, he thought.

~o0o~

Adjusting to having to sit so much after being so active for so long was jarring for Yaku, and it made him cranky. He tried to reign it in, he really did, but he hated not being able to stand up and do things for himself, and he  _ detested _ not being able to play, even for as short a time as the doctors had him sitting out.

Noya was a good sport about it, but after a few days Yaku could tell it was beginning to wear on him. Yaku felt bad for annoying his friend, he really did, but he was annoying himself the most. So, he urged Noya to go out and have fun without him, because Noya could really use time to unwind and have fun without Yaku there to drag him down.

It took convincing, but eventually Noya left for night,  leaving Yaku sitting on their couch in the living room, silence settling down around him like a particularly stifling blanket. He tried to do some homework, or get some cleaning, or  _ anything  _ to keep his mind from the sudden emptiness.  He failed miserably, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore, and gave up on doing anything productive.

He grabbed his laptop and planned on watching some inane YouTube videos or something until he felt tired enough to fall asleep, but he ended up finding an old favorite movie of his. Curious, he decided to rewatch it.

By the end of it he was a gross mess on the couch, wrapped in a fluffy blanket and surrounded by tissues, sprained ankle propped up and yet still throbbing with half-acknowledged pain.  The movie was a romcom; and while it had a happy ending, it stirred some kind of longing in Yaku's chest that brought him to tears when the couple in the movie argued, and made them worse when they made up and confessed.

Yaku eventually calmed his breathing and hobbled to bed, lying there upset and confused. He didn't know why the movie had affected him so much, and he was upset by that. He was upset that he didn't have anyone to confide in, besides Noya, and he didn't want to talk to Noya about this, because he didn't want to drive him away.

He didn't want to lose one of the best friends he'd ever had, just because he was feeling lonely and clingy. It wasn't like Noya would want to listen to him grump about being lonely- he was probably out, having a good time somewhere, meeting people and making them laugh with his own eyes lighting up in return.

Yaku was nearly asleep when it hit him.


	8. Chapter 8

Noya was confused.

He wasn't confused about school work; no, he was confused about Yaku.

This wasn't usual, at all. Usually, he and Yaku got along swimmingly (for a pair of volleyball players, that is), but ever since Yaku told him to go out alone and relax, Yaku had been touchy and avoidant.

Yaku avoided his glances, and the hand he offered when he seemed to be struggling with walking on his only recently healed ankle, waving him away when he offered to help him out. The smiles he offered were wan and pale, a mere shade of the smiles he'd given before the injury.

Noya had given him time, thinking that maybe he was just tired and in pain from his ankle, and annoyed at needing help. He tried to reign in his annoyance and hurt at the continual rejections. He knew he wasn't great at handling his negative emotions, but he'd learned a few tricks since his blow up at Asahi, and he used them all to try and support Yaku as best as he could.

Unfortunately, his grip on his emotions wasn't made of steel, and one night his composure failed him.

Noya had been offering to take Yaku to the movies, to get him out of the house. Yaku had replied in the negative without even looking up from the book in his lap. (Noya missed the white-knuckle grip Yaku had on the book.)

Noya took a deep breath, and another, but still the anger built until he could no longer contain it.

"What has gotten into you? Is it something I did?? You never talk to me anymore and you never let me help you with anything anymore, and I don't know why. Did I do something wrong?" Is what he ended up saying, sounding much more plaintive than he'd expected.

Yaku only sighed and said, "It's nothing. I've just been tired, okay?"

Noya crossed his arms over his chest and leveled a disbelieving look at Yaku, "For two weeks? Y'know, I don't get it, Yaku. Aren't we friends? You never had a problem with me helping out before. Am I bothering you, or something?"

Yaku shut his book, still not meeting Noya's eyes. "No, you're not bothering me. I'm just... I don't know. Not quite feeling right." Despite his anger, Noya knew his friend was upset about something, so he crossed the room with swift steps, and sat down next to him, touching him lightly on the back of his hand. He ignored Yaku's flinch in favor of saying, earnestly, "What's wrong? Maybe I can help you."

Yaku laughed, mirthlessly, and finally met Noya's gaze. Mouth twisted in an ugly, wry smile, he said, "If I tell you, you'll hate me, probably." Noya gripped at Yaku's hand at light replied, "Well, you never know until you try, yeah? Try me, Yaku."

Yaku looked down again, at the hand still on his, and swallowed. He turned his hand over in Noya's grip, twining their fingers together and holding on, gently, stroking across the back with his thumb. Noya's breath caught in his throat.

Yaku's voice was very quiet as he said, "I'm pretty sure that I'm at least a little in love with you. You're just- so kind? And I think you're one of the best friends I've ever had, and I don't want to ruin that."

The lump in Noya's throat kept him from replying, so the only thing he could think of to do was hold tighter to Yaku's hand and drop his head down to Yaku's shoulder.

Once he'd regained his composure, he whispered, "You're one of my best friends too... You're so strong, and bright, and powerful, and I really- like, really admire you, okay? That'll never change, no matter what."

They were silent for a minute, sitting together on the couch.

"So... what now?" Asked Yaku, a minute tremble running through him.

Noya frowned against his shoulder, still hearing the quiet upset in his voice. He pulled back a bit to look at Yaku's face, saying, "Well, I rather assumed that we'd try going on dates some time, but if you don't want to-"

"You want to date??" The incredulity and surprise were clear in Yaku's voice, and he blushed after his outburst registered.

"Well- yeah? You're cute, and I like you, and I think I could very easily like you even more than I do now," Noya squeezed Yaku's hand again, trying to reassure him.

Yaku looked down again, at their joined hands this time. He seemed a little unsure, processing what had just happened. Noya waited patiently, admiring the curve of his neck and curl of the hair around of his ears.

A moment more and Yaku looked back up, resolve in his eyes. He leaned forward, observing Noya's face, looking for something. Apparently finding it, he took a breath and nodded, "Okay. Okay, let's try dating. I just have one question."

Noya smiled as roguishly as he knew how. "Yeah, sure, what is it?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Noya felt his face grew hot, and he ducked his head to avoid the laser focus of Yaku's gaze on him. The other only waited patiently, giving him time to find his tongue and make it work again.

Noya came to a decision, and looked up again, searching Yaku's face for- confirmation, or something. He shifted on the couch, turning to face Yaku, and touched his face with the hand not caught in Yaku's.

He tilted his head and pressed a gentle, soft kiss to Yaku's lips, as carefully as he knew how, and let it linger just a moment before parting again.

The flush high on Yaku's cheeks as he opened his eyes again was beautiful, and Noya smiled at him, feeling finally at home.

~o0o~

They went out on their first date within a week, and many more followed after- and once Tanaka and Yamamoto had gotten their heads on straight (or bi, as the case may be), they all went for double dates as often as possible, complete with rowdy jokes and lots of wrestling, usually won by Yaku.

Noya watched his boyfriend, eyes glittering in the low light of the little corner booth of the restaurant they were at, and was glad that the first person to answer that text months ago was the man sitting next to him, laughing at their friends and holding his hand under the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has been such a pleasure to write. Thank you everyone who made it this far!! I especially want to thank [Quincy](https://q195-arts.tumblr.com), who illustrated Chapter 3, and Gill, who helped beta the first few chapters.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed! Again, please comment and let me know what you think :D


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